A Start-Up Business Idea That Could Ease Labor Shortages for Hotels

The availability of qualified employees is sited by most hotel operators as the number one problem facing the industry. Ed Watkins a veteran and respected industry writer addressed the issue in a recent article. According to Watkins, the shortage of hotel employees today ( among other things) is a combination of renewed efforts to deport undocumented workers along with the increase in employees who fail drug tests. Is the time ripe for an entrepreneur to launch an outsourcing firm for hotels, particularly in the Housekeeping Department? It’s not that Outsourcing a new idea. In the Boston area, several hotels have been contracting for housekeepers since the sixties; Virgin America outsources every job that is not “customer facing.”

The primary resistance by operators who continue to operate their own housekeeping departments is understandably the fear that they will lose quality control, yet the number of housekeeping complaints registered by guests of these properties is on the rise.

Timing is key to any start up but someone who can convince hoteliers of the advantages of an outsourced team in Housekeeping comprised of individuals employed by a bonded and insured service company might just have the start of a successful venture into the hospitality industry. Just a thought – free advice – maybe what it’s worth.